Water Back On But Traffic Still Limited on University Avenue After Water Main Break

BERKELEY, CA —The water is flowing again today for dozens of Berkeley residents after crews worked overnight to repair a broken water main at the intersection of University Avenue and Grant Street, an East Bay Municipal Utility spokeswoman said.

The 12-inch cast iron pipe broke and started leaking large amounts of water onto the streets at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to EBMUD. Crews repaired the pipe and water was flowing again today by 7
a.m. to the roughly 40 homes on Grant Street north of University Avenue that lost water service, EBMUD spokeswoman Andrea Pook said.

University Avenue was closed to traffic in both directions from Martin Luther King Jr. Way to McGeen Avenue until early this morning. Currently, only one lane is open in each direction on University
Avenue in the area because the water main is next to a storm drain, which is complicating the effort to refill and repair the road, Pook said.

"We're working with the city of Berkeley to figure out how to make the repairs," Pook said.

There is no estimated time for when all the lanes on University Avenue and Grant Street will re-open to traffic.

By Bay City News

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